Just take precautions before you move items around. Maybe I'm paranoid (or maybe it's cause I have three vendor houses) but I don't just put stuff on my floor that isn't locked down. I move things around from packy to chest or chest to chest.
Precaution 1:
Don't put items on your floor that you want to keep. Put them inside a secured container instead.
Precaution 2:
You are moving houses! Great! Now before you do anything write down the secure/lockdown numbers in your old house so you know what they should be in your new house after you move. The check the numbers after you have moved.
Precaution 3:
Packies are great but they won't autolog with you if they have stuff in them. Mouse over packies to make sure they say 13 stones on them before you log.
Precaution 4:
Still paranoid after moving around a bunch of items? If you have a custom house go into custom mode and quickly exit it. Anything not locked down will go under the house sign. Be aware that any chopped add ons will poof if you haven't locked them down that day.
I think most of us have been burned by forgetting to lock down or secure items. I know I have. Sometimes the lesson is more important than the stuff. When you rely on others to take care of you you lose your own self reliance.
Those are good, but i didn't make this thread just for the people who read the Uhall, hundreds of people who don't read these boards who are effected by this... while it's a good list, not all of us can stay paranoid all the time about losing items, it's not in our nature. And everyone gets careless. They're all good ideas, especially customizing the house (except for those with legacy-style houses or houses with several illegally place items). But as i said, no matter how good the list is, it'll only affect those who read the Uhall, and this thread specifically, which really isn't that many.